If you are a Girl Scout Cookie fan, you need to drop whatever you are doing and make these Keto Samoa Bars. Easier than making individual cookies, these sugar-free cookie bars are topped with gooey keto caramel sauce and toasted coconut. And some rich dark chocolate doesn’t hurt either!
They really do taste like the original Samoa cookies, as confirmed by my husband, kids, and multiple friends. So you won’t succumb to the siren’s call of the popular sugary treats. And if Samoas aren’t your jam, you can make my Keto Thin Mints or Keto Tagalong Cookies instead.
I first published this recipe in 2011, way back in the dawn of my keto baking days. I recently got the urge to make them again and see if I could make them even better. I kept the recipe mostly the same, but created a chewier caramel coconut filling.
You are going to be thrilled with this updated recipe!
Why we love this recipe
I could have made these as keto cookies, but making them as bars has several advantages.
- They are easy to make, and don’t require rolling out dough and cutting individual cookies. Simply press the crust into the pan and bake until golden.
- Less mess! This recipe dirties fewer utensils and you don’t have the messy process of dipping them in chocolate. Instead, the chocolate is spread on top of the easy keto crust.
- They are extra gooey. I used a combination of sweeteners to achieve a caramel topping that was more like the real Samoas.
- Less fragile and crumbly. These delicious bars hold together super well.
And these wonderful low carb dessert bars have only 3.3g net carbs per serving. Compare that to regular Samoa Cookies, which have 19g of carbs per serving. What a difference!
Reader’s Thoughts
“Wow! I would never know these bars were missing the sugar. They certainly are not missing on flavor. Much better than a Girl Scout cookie (and I can have these year round). This is the sort of treat that will keep me keto for the rest of my life.” — Gisele Smith
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: I really prefer almond flour for the shortbread crust for both texture and flavor. Other nut and seed flours can work but don’t look as fine and may be a bit more crumbly. Coconut flour really won’t work here.
- Sweetener: You do need an erythritol based sweetener in the crust if you want it to crisp up nicely. For the filling, you want to use some allulose or xylitol to keep the filling a little more gooey and chewy. Please see the Tips for Success for more information.
- Butter: For the shortbread crust, nothing beats the flavor and texture that butter offers.
- Sugar free dark chocolate: Both Lily’s or ChocZero dark chocolate chips will work in this recipe.
- Shredded coconut: Make sure to get unsweetened, finely shredded coconut.
- Heavy whipping cream: This helps create the luscious coconut filling for these samoa bars.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract and salt.
Step by Step Directions
- Prepare the crust: Combine the almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture begins to come together. Turn out the mixture into an 8×8 baking pan and press firmly into the bottom. Bake at 325ºF for about 15 minutes, until just golden brown.
- Prepare the chocolate layer: Melt the chocolate and butter in 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Alternatively, you can melt it double boiler style over a pan of barely simmering water. Spread about 2/3 of the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust.
- Toast the coconut. Spread the coconut over a skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring frequently until light golden brown. Set aside.
- Make the caramel: Combine the butter and sweeteners in a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until deep amber. Remove from heat and add the cream, vanilla, and salt. The mixture will bubble vigorously, this is normal. Return to medium low heat and continue to cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Assemble the bars: Stir the toasted coconut into the caramel and spread the mixture over the chocolate-covered crust. Chill 1 hour before cutting into squares.
- Drizzle with chocolate: Gently reheat remaining chocolate mixture and drizzle over the bars.
Tips for Success
In the past, some readers had difficulties with the caramel not setting properly. This usually means it wasn’t cooked quite long enough to thicken. I have adjusted this version of Keto Samoa Bars so that you return the caramel sauce to medium low heat until it thickens more. You want the mixture to be bubbling thickly before you remove it from the heat.
Keep a close eye on the coconut when you are toasting it, as it can burn easily. You want to stir it almost constantly, until it becomes lightly browned. Once most of the shreds are golden, remove the pan from over the heat. Stir it a few more times as it cools, since the heat of the pan will continue to toast the shreds.
Sweetener Options: If you want the crust to be crisp, you need to use an erythritol-based sweetener that contains no allulose or xylitol. But the filling turns out best with a mix of allulose and erythritol. I like to use some of my brown sugar replacement for a rich caramel flavor.
If you can’t access allulose, the next best substitute is xylitol. Do note that if you use all erythritol based sweeteners for the filling, it will harden and recrystallize as it cools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the bars in a covered container on the counter for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
I find the easiest way to toast shredded coconut yourself is in a pan over the stove. Use medium heat so you don’t burn the coconut and stir it very often until evenly golden. Remove from heat before it’s too dark, as the heat of the pan will continue to cook it for a little bit.
This keto samoa cookie bar recipe has 6.4g of carbs and 3.1g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.3g net carbs per bar.
More keto cookie bars to love
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Keto Samoa Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup erythritol sweetener
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Chocolate Filling and Drizzle:
- 4 ounces sugar free dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
Coconut Caramel Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup allulose, or xylitol
- 3 tbsp brown sugar replacement
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture begins to come together.
- Turn out the mixture into an 8×8 baking pan and press firmly and evenly into the bottom. Bake about 15 to 18 minutes, until just golden brown. Remove and let cool while preparing the filling.
Chocolate Filling/Drizzle
- In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Alternatively, you can melt it double boiler style over a pan of barely simmering water.
- Spread about two thirds of the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust.
Coconut Caramel Filling
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, spread the coconut. Stirring frequently, toast until light golden brown. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and sweeteners. Cook until melted, stirring frequently, and then bring to a low boil. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, until deep amber.
- Remove from heat and add the cream, vanilla, and salt. The mixture will bubble vigorously, this is normal. Return to medium low heat and continue to cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Stir in the toasted coconut. Spread the mixture over the chocolate-covered crust. Chill 1 hour and before cutting into squares. Gently reheat remaining chocolate mixture and drizzle over the bars.
Notes
Nutrition
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I’m making these now and the caramel did not thicken. Yes, I used the exact ingredients. I looked up your caramel sauce & it calls for xantham gum but this recipe does not. Typo or am I doing something wrong?
No, this is a different recipe. If it didn’t thicken, you may not have cooked it quite long enough.
Is there anyway to fix it at this point? I’ve made this several times, and it happens about half the time. What I do at that point, is that I usually freeze it to keep the sauce from running off the crust to serve it. However, it would be great if I could figure out a fix to thicken it.
lol! Too funny- apparently I asked this question before and answered it myself. Ah well- in case anyone else doesn’t want to sift through a ton of comments, my fix is to cook it again until it thickens. I marked that on my recipe in England, but haven’t made these since last Christmas at home, so hadn’t made that note on my home recipe.
Great recipe! Hits the sweet spot for anyone on a Keto diet!
Question for the author – what is the portion size for the nutritionals you posted?
I made these yesterday and they are AMAZING! My family had no idea they are keto and a healthier option. I had to bake the crust a little longer for it to turn golden brown. It was more like 22 minutes. I used monk fruit sweetener in the crust because I don’t always love Swerve’s regular sugar replacement, but I love their brown sugar so I still used that. These are my new favorite! Thanks Carolyn!
These taste amazing. They would be perfect if the carmel could solidify and be chewy, but a definite winner. my husband had no idea they were keto. lol.
I added the heavy cream and reduced it on the medium flame – maybe for another 3-5mins
And it became a little more chewy. Try that next time.
I am trying to avoid oxalates would coconut flour work in replacement of the almond flour? Thank you for all your recipes!
No, coconut flour does not make very good crust. Try sunflower seed flour.
I made these bars yesterday (with the substitution of monkfruit-allulose white and brown as a preference), terribly burnt both the coconut and the caramel, but they were still delicious. I like burnt things but my husband doesn’t and he still enjoyed them. I can’t wait to see how good they are when I don’t mess them up!
Wow! I am glad you still liked them… the allulose is part of the reason. It cooks much faster so you need to watch it carefully!
I also had toasted the coconut and made the caramel in a titanium skillet that I don’t use often – I forgot how much hotter that thing gets than my normal pans! Oddly enough, the burnt flavor seemed to fade a little more every day. My husband even mentioned last night that they hardly taste burnt at all any more. It’s the weirdest thing!
Could I sub 4 oz dark chocolate bars with 4 oz of dark chocolate chips?
Yes you should be able to.
My caramel didn’t thicken. You say to ‘spread’ it on top of the chocolate layer. Mine is very liquidy. What did I do wrong?
Did you use a different sweetener?
The butter/swerve brown and whipping cream didn’t thicken , I added the coconut and it always still liquids but I poured onto the chocolate layer, 🤞🏼Hopefully it thickens as it cools.
could you replace coconut flour for 1/4 of almond flour to help bring carbs down more?
No… coconut flour does not make a good crust like this.
Carolyn, I’ve been practicing the keto woe for almost 7 years and this is hands down the BEST dessert I’ve made. So much so that I don’t know if I can make it again because it’s so difficult for me to stop at just one bar. Who am I kidding??! Of course I’ll make them again! And the almond joy bars. And I can’t wait to try the new peanut butter muffins!
So delighted to hear it!
These are absolutely amazing!!!
These are my hubby’s favorite dessert flavors. Made the cookie bars tonight and they were wonderful. I thought initially I had undercooked the caramel sauce cause it wasn’t as thick as it should be when poured over the crust, however it firmed up ok in the fridge. Going to try these in the freezer as they are quite rich and there is only two of us eating them. Again, another delicious guilt free indulgence. Thanks.
Delicious!!! I love chocolate and coconut combo. Very tasty!
Wow! I would never know these bars were missing the sugar. They certainly are not missing on flavor. Much better than a Girl Scout cookie (and I can have these year round). This is the sort of treat that will keep me keto for the rest of my life.
Just made these, in fridge cooling. Husband had to try filling gave it 5 stars. Your recipes are a inspiration and keeping me on track.
HI. I made these and they are good but the caramel sauce layer is all watery. I know in previous versions of your caramel stuff after adding the heavy cream you put it back on the stove and bring to a boil again but this recipe doesn’t call for that so I didn’t do that. Is that step possibly missing or did I just not boil the butter/sugars long enough?
Thanks for any feedback you might give me on why it didn’t turn out.
It shouldn’t need it. If it was watery then you didn’t cook it long enough the first time.
Can it be fixed by reboiling?
Just answered my own question. Yes! Just reboil it while keeping an eye on it and stirring often.
Greetings. I don’t have Bocha Sweet and don’t want to use that much Swerve Brown. Is using regular Swerve in place of Bocha Sweet OK or will it cause the consistency to be off or will it crystalize as a result? Thanks.
It will recrystallize.
These are so incredibly delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
I made this recipe yesterday & all I can say is “ Scrumptious!!” It certainly reminds me of my Girl Scout days & selling these cookies. Thank you for another wonderful Keto recipe that is easy to make & turns out fantastic!!
So glad!
I can’t rate as I haven’t made them yet.. I’ve used brown Swerve in pecan pie before and it crystalized on me. It was pretty icky. Has anyone complained of crystallization?